yeah the sword swallowing is an odd thing to me as well. I wonder who the first guy that did that was and how it is that he felt compelled to try even further.

With this festival there seems to be an unspoken competition of sorts to see who can put the most ridiculous thing in their cheeks... hence the part of a small motorbike above. I've seen pool cues, brooms, bicycle handlebars, guns both real and fake... just whatever.